Warp knitting machine



Oct. 1s, 1966 K. KOHL 3,279219 WARP KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1964 INVENTOR- United States Patent O WARI KNITTING MACHINE Karl Kohl, Oifenbacher Star. 20,

Hainstadt (Main), Germany Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Sex. N0. 340,133 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 31, 1963, M 55,625 2 Claims. (Cl. 6686) This invention relates to knitting machines, and more partieularly to warp l nitting machines such as Raschel machine's.

In its more specific aspects, the invention is concerned With Raschel machines having a multiplicity of yarn guide bars for pattern forrnation. It is a common feature of conventional machines of this type that they cannot be operated at high speed. All yarn guides must be pivoted back and forth through the common plane defined by the knitting needles during each reciprocating movement of the needles.

In a Raschel machine equipped with as many as thirty yarn guide bars, the combined mass of the guide bars and of the associated devices is large. The Wide swinging movement of this mass aflects the stability of the machine. The machine cannot be oper-ated faster than is compatible With the lirnit of tolerable inertial effects produced by the oscillating mass.

A partial solution to this problern has been brought about by a known arrangement in which the yarn guicle bars reciprocate in a linear path whereas the knitting needle bar and the associated comb plate move pivotally. The combined mass of the knitting needles and of the associated needle bars, however, is not significantly srnaller than that of the yarn guide bars. Some improvement is achieved in the known arrangernent by lowering the senter of gravity of the swinging mass, but the rotary speed of knitting machins of the known type is still relatively W. It has also been found that the pivoting movernent of the comh plate in the afore-described warp knitting machine oauses tensions in the fabri i taken ofl from the comb plate which are sometimes higher than would be desirable.

The object of the invention is a reduction of the inertial eifects transmitted to the frarne of a warp knitting machine by the relative rnovernent of knitting needles and yarn guides in such a manner that the speed of the knitting machine can be increased without loss in stability.

Another object is the avoidance of tension in the fabric tal en off.

With these and other objects in view, as Will hereinafter appear, the invention in one of its aspects provides a needle bar mounted on the supporting frarne of the warp knitting machine for pivoting movement. Knitting needles are mounted on the bar and pivot therewith. A yarn guide bar is mounted on the machine frarne for pivoting movement about an axis substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the needle bar. The yarn guide bar carries yarn guides. The machine drive is connected to the needle bar and to the yarn guide bar in such manner that the knitting needles and the yarn guides simnltaneously move about the respective axes in opposite directions relative to the stationary maehine frarne during operation of the machine. A comb plate Whose top edge is near the knitting needles pivots With the needle bar. The top edge and the pivoting axis of the needle bar define a reference plane. A fabric takeofi arrangernent is mounted on the machine and define-s a take-ofl plane with the afore-rnentioned top edge. The machine drive limits movernent of the comb plate to positions in which the two planes, Which intersect, define -a srnall acute angle.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the sarne becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description When considered in connection With the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows as much of a warp knitting machine of the invention as is necessar'y for an understancling of this invention, the view being in elevation, and partly in section; and

FIG. 2 is a conventional diagram of knitting needle movement in the machine of FIG. 1.

Referring initially to FIG. l, there is seen a shaft 4 which is journaled in the stationary supporting trenne of the knitting machine in a manner not shown, and has several carriers 3 fixedly attached thereto. Only one carrier 3 is visible in the drawing.' A bracket 2 is mounted 011 the carrier 3 and supports a comb plate 1.

Lateh needles 17 of Which only one is visible in the dr-awing are mounted on a needle bar 7 in a row which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. A needle bar guide 6 fixedly attached to or integral with the bar 7 depends from the needle bar 7 proper and passes through an opening 5 in the carrier 3 in which it is guided for reciprocating movement.

The part of the needle bar guide 6 which upwardly pro jects frorn the carrier 3 is provided With a pivot pin 8 which hingedly connects the guide 6 to a rod 6a. The rod is slidably mounted in a sleeve 6c of a pivot 6b fixedly attached to the stationary machine frarne. A cam follower linkage connects the rod 6a to the main drive 01 the machine which may include a known cam arrangement of the type illustrated and described in my U.S. Patent N0. 3134247. The linkage is represented only by a bar 6d pivotally attached to the rod 6a.

Yarn guides 12 are mounted on a common bar 11 and are secured to the machine frarne by a pivot 13a whose axis is parallel to that of the shaft 4. Simultaneous pivoting movement of the yarn guide bar 11 and of the shaft 4 is actuated by the afore-mentioned cam arrangement. A cam follower rod 10 is moved in a generally vertical direction by the cam drive. It is linked to the shaft 4 by a link 9 hingedly connected to the rod 14 and fixedly ab taohed to the shaft 4, and to the bar 11 by a push rod 10 and an arm 13 in a corresponding manner. When the rod 14 rnoves upward, as viewed in the drawing, the bars 11 and 7 are pivoted counterclockwise, the yarn guides 12 move toward the left, and the knitting needles 17 rnove toward the right relative to the fixed knitting machine frarne.

The cyclic movements of the needle 17 relative to the machine frarne which result from the simultaneous pivoting movement of the carrier 3 about the axis of the shaft 4 and the reciprocating movernent of the guide 6 in the bearing 5 are illustrated in FIG. 2 in a conventional diagrarn. The needle moves from its lowermost position at 15 along a path 16 which has a predorninant vertical component due to the sliding movement of the guide 6 in the guide opening 5, and a minor horizontal component due to pivoting movernent of the carrier 3.

When the needle is in its topmost osition, the two components of its movement are combined in such a manner that the needle movement along the path section 13 toward the left, as viewed in the drawing, is practically rectilinear. When the needle reaches the terminal portion 19 of its leftward movernent, the guide 6 is stopped in the guide -opening 5 so that the terminal path portion 19 is a circular arc about the axis of the shaft 4. The configuration of the synchronized cams which actuate the movements of the rods 6a and 14 can readily be derived from the showing of FIG. 2. The carns are preferably mounted on a common shaft in the manner illustrated in my afore-mentioned patent.

Reverting now to FIG. l, a fabric beam 22 is mounted on the machine frame in such a manner that its fixed axis is parallel to those of the shaft 4 and of the pivot 13a. Knitted fabric 20 is taken ofi? from the comb plate 1 in a plane which defines a small acute angle 23 with a reference plane passing through the axis of the shaft 4 and over the eflective top edge 21 of the cornb platte. The location of the fabric bearn 22 is such that the angle 23 does not exceed 20 degrees during the limited pivotal movement of the needles 17 about the axis of the shaft 4.

The simultaneous pivotal movement of the knitting needles 17 and of the yarn guides 12 in opposite directions perrnits a reduction in the amplitude of movement f both knitting implements by about one half as compared t0 known arrangements. The rnovernent of the masses in opposite directions also tends to balance the inertial effects exerted on the knitting machine frame. Bo-th factors significantly contribute to the availability of higher speeds in the warp knitting machine 0f the invention. If 80 revolutions per minute are representative of good practice on the aforedescribed improved machine when equipped With thirty yarn guide bars, the knitting machine 0f the instant invention is capable 0f 400 revolutions per minute under otherwise comparable conditions.

The comrnon eecentric drive for the pivotal movernents of the needle bar 7 and of the yarn guide bar 11 results in a very simple transmission of motions between the two bars. The unencumbered space made available thereby perrnits an arrangernent of the fabric take-off in which cyclic tensions in the fabric are minirnized or entirely avoided. A further simplification of the drive is achieved by linking the machine drive to that portion of the needle bar guide 6 which is above the carrier 3. A single guide opening is sufiicient in such an arrangernent to comtrol the direction 0f movement of the needle bar 7.

lt. should be understood of course that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment 0f the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifieations of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not comstitute departures from the spirit and scope 0f the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1 In a warp kn-itting machine, in combinatio-n:

(a) a support;

(b) a needle bar mounted on said support for pivoting movement about a first axis;

(c) knitting needle means mounted on said bar for pivoting moveme-nt therewith;

(d) a yarn guide bar mounted on said support for pivoting movement about a second axis extending in a common direetion With said first axis;

(e) yarn guide means mounted 0n said yarn guide bar for pivoting rnovement therewith;

(f) drive means 0pe-ratively connected t0 said needle bar and to said yarn guide bar for actuating simultaneous pivoting movement of said needle means and of said yarn guide means about the respective axes in opposite directions relative to said support;

(g) a comb plate mernber mou-nted on said -support for pivoting movement about said first axis, and connected to said needle bar for joint pivoting movement therewith, said comb plate member having a top edge adjacent said knitting needle means; and

(h) fabric take-off means mounted on said Support, said take-otf means and said top edge of said cornb plate mernber jointly defining a fabric take-off plane, said first axis and said top edge of said comb plate mernber jointly defining a reference plane intersecting said take-off plane, and said drive means includ ing means for limiting the movernent of said comb plate rnember I0 positions in which said planes define a small acute angle.

2. In a machine as set forth in clairn 1, said angle be ing not substantially greater than 20 degrees.

References Cited by the Examina UNITED STATES PATENTS 2744398 5/ 1956 Schiebe 66-86 30632-37 11/1962 Kohl 66-86 309992 1 8/ 196 3 Liebrandt 6686 3166921 1/1965 Svoboda 6684 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examz'ner. DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. R. BELDBAUM, Assistant Examz'ner. 

1. IN A WARP KNITTING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A NEEDLE BAR MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT ABOUT A FIRST AXIS; (C) KNITTING NEEDLE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BAR FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT THEREWITH; (D) A YARN GUIDE BAR MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT ABOUT A SECOND AXIS EXTENDING IN A COMMON DIRECTION WITH SAID FIRST AXIS; (E) YARM GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID YARN GUIDE BAR FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT THEREWITH; (F) DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID NEEDLE BAR AND TO SAID YARN GUIDE BAR FOR ACTUATING SIMULTANEOUS PIVOTING MOVEMENT OF SAID NEEDLE MEANS AND OF SAID YARN GUIDE MEANS ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE AXES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT; (G) A COMB PLATE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR PIVOTING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID FIRST AXIS, AND CONNECTED TO SAID NEEDLE BAR FOR JOINT PIVOTING MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID COMB PLATE MEMBER HAVINF A TOP EDGE ADJACENT SAID KNITTING NEEDLE MEANS; AND (H) FABRIC TAKE-OFF MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, SAID TAKE-OFF MEANS AND SAID TOP EDGE OF SAID COMB PLATE MEMBER JOINTLY DEFINING A FABRIC TAKE-OFF PLANE, SAID FIRST AXIS AND SAID TOP EDGE OF SAID COMB PLATE MEMBER JOINTLY DEFINING A REFERENCE PLATE INTERSECING SAID TAKE-OFF PLANE, AND SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID COMB PLATE MEMBER TO POSITIONS IN WHICH SAID PLANES DEFINE A SMALL ACUTE ANGLE. 